Aria, Richard Rodriguez

1. "So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality." (p.39 Rodriguez)

Rodriguez here is explaining his whole piece in one sentence. He talks of how bilingualists do not like assimilation but he does because he sees this as a way to become individualized. The quote explains how a person might become less of an individual by being assimilated but that assimilation makes a person more of an individual in public.

2. "Is it possible for you and your husband to encourage your children to practice their English when they are home?" (p.35 Rodriguez)

The nuns are speaking to Richard's parents about trying to help him speak English at home. I found this quote important because they are asking Spanish speaking parents to help their child speak English. It's crazy that the teachers can not help the child more, instead they go right to the parents for help. I do not know how the nuns thought the parents were going to help the children successfully.

3. "On official business, it was she, not my father, one would usually hear on the phone or in stores, talking to strangers." (p.37 Rodriguez)

The quote explains how the father, who never really took to the English language, becomes silent because he does not understand what people are saying. He no longer can take control of family or household business. He also does not talk to his children much because they are speaking English and have forgotten much of their Spanish. They also refer to their parents in English instead of papa and mama.

I found this piece to be an easy read that kept me interested. I like how it was a narrative about Rodriguez's life as a child and how he had to learn English. I think he is taking learning English as a great thing for his life. He finds assimilation to be good for an individual even though their individuality may become less noticed. His Spanish language was part of his individuality and he liked that when he was a child but when he learns English he finds out how much that helps him in public and school. Although Rodriguez does explain his hard times at home after he and his siblings learned English. His mother and father never had to learn English but their children had to because of school and their future. To me, Rodriguez has a change of heart in this piece about learning English and becoming Americanized. I really liked this story and his rational of the positives of assimilation.